The present invention relates to novel systems, devices, and methods comprising spatial light modulators for use in the reading and synthesis of microarrays. For example, the present invention provides micromirror systems for synthesizing and acquiring data from nucleic acid microarrays and systems for collecting, processing, and analyzing data obtained from a microarray.

Microarray detector and synthesizer

In a lithographic apparatus, a slip of a patterning device relative to a support, the support constructed to support the patterning device, may be provided by measuring a position of the support relative to a first structure of the lithographic apparatus; measuring a position of the patterning device relative to a second structure of the lithographic apparatus; determining a correlation between the position of the patterning device and the position of the support from the measured position of the support, the measured position of the patterning device, and the mutual positions of the first and second structures; and deriving from the correlation a slip of the patterning device relative to the support. The structure may include a projection system to project a radiation beam patterned by the patterning device. The projection system may be connected to a frame, such as a metrology frame of the lithographic apparatus.

Lithographic apparatus and method

A computer implemented method for correcting a mask pattern, includes: preparing a designed mask pattern; obtaining a rough corrected mask pattern from the designed mask pattern by applying a rough correction; and obtaining a precision corrected mask pattern from the rough corrected mask pattern by applying a precision correction using a model based correction method with a precision model that simulates a transferred image of an exposure apparatus.

Method for correcting a mask pattern, a computer program product, a method for producing a photomask, and method for manufacturing a semiconductor device

An optical apparatus used for the efficient characterization of photoresist material includes at least one grating interferometer having at least two gratings that together define an optical recombination plane. An optical stop blocks any zeroth order beam from propagating through the apparatus. A reticle positioned at the recombination plane has at least one fiducial marking therein. A lithographic imaging optical tool is positioned so that its input optical plane is substantially coincident with the optical recombination plane and its output imaging plane is substantially coincident with photoresist on a wafer. The apparatus writes in the photoresist latent, sinusoidal grating patterns, preferably of different spatial frequencies, as well as at least one fiducial mark whose pattern is determined by the marking in the reticle. After the photoresist is developed, its intrinsic spatial resolution may be determined by automated means.

Apparatus for characterization of photoresist resolution, and method of use

Lithography masks and methods of manufacture thereof are disclosed. A preferred embodiment comprises a method of manufacturing a lithography mask. The method includes providing a substrate, forming a first pattern in a first region of the substrate, and forming a second pattern in a second region of the substrate, the second pattern comprising patterns for features oriented differently than patterns for features of the first pattern. The method includes affecting a polarization rotation of light differently in the first region than in the second region of the substrate.

Lithography masks and methods of manufacture thereof

A phase shift mask and a method of designing a phase shift mask involves simulation of light exposure through the mask layout in order to identify sidelobe regions. The method includes modification of the mask layout to remove the sidelobe regions. The method of modification may be based upon the size and/or the maximum of light intensity in a given sidelobe region. The method may utilize an iterative process of modifying the mask layout and simulating exposure through the modified mask layout until a threshold criterion such as the non-existence of sidelobe regions is met.

Sidelobe suppressing phase shift mask and method

A device for exposing and heating a substrate coated with resist includes an exposure tool for selectively exposing the resist, and a heater for heating the exposed resist, the exposure tool and the heater able to simultaneously act on different portions of the resist. A method of patterning resist on a substrate includes the steps of selectively exposing the resist on the first portion of the substrate, heating the resist on the first portion, and simultaneously or thereafter selectively exposing the resist on a second portion of the substrate. In an exemplary embodiment the exposure tool is an electron beam generator for exposing a chemically-amplified resist, and the heater is a light source such as a laser light source which does not appreciably expose the resist. The device and method allow a post-exposure heating with a smaller delay between the exposure and the heating than with conventional methods, which involve exposing a reticle and mask completely before heating by baking.

Christopher F. Spence

Papers

Sidelobe suppressing phase shift mask and method

Simultaneous heating and exposure of reticle with pattern placement correction